A/N - Thought I'd throw in some references to the video game this time around :) And hopefully Carl isn't in this chapter so much that it detracts from the real giftee (that is so not a word). Basically, I guess that goes for all of the characters. I just felt like there wasn't enough material to completely focus on one and one person only. And although I am a shipper, I tried to keep all dialogue between Carl and Tallulah completely un-shippy. So for those of you who don't like the ship, just imagine them as friends. For those who do like the ship, let your imagination heave ho.

Chapter 7

"Thanks for helping me get these boxes, Carl," Wilbur said to the robot as they carried up the several boxes of family albums that Franny liked to pull out every year for the family to look back on.

"No problem, little buddy. That's what I'm here for, to help," Carl said in return.

"Help? Since when?" Wilbur joked.

"Ha. Ha. Ha. I can't help it if sometimes your schemes get so out of control that I can't help you get out of them," Carl spat back, but in more of a sarcastic brotherly tone than anything else. "Um, and not to be rude, little buddy but what is that smell!?"

"What?" Wilbur sniffed the air, and then raised one of his armpits and took a quick sniff. The smell was strong enough that even he couldn't help but make a face in disgust. "Okay, okay. So I need to freshen up. Why did dad have to build you with a smell sensor anyway?"

"Well, if I had known then that I'd have to smell that, believe me; I would have begged him not to!"

"Alright, now who's being the funny one," Wilbur rolled his eyes. "Fine, I'll take a shower," he said as they set the boxes down on the kitchen counter.

"Oh, uh, actually, I forgot to tell you," Carl started but was interrupted by Wilbur's impatience.

"Don't bother. I get it. I stink," Wilbur said as he waved his hand and headed off to clean up.

"But Wilbur!"

"Not now, Carl! If my mom finds out I've waited this long, I'm done for!" Wilbur's step quickened at the thought.

"Well, I can't say I didn't try to warn him," Carl just sighed as he watched Wilbur head around the corner and out of sight.

"What more could Carl have possibly told me," Wilbur mumbled a few moments later as he quickly grabbed his shower gear and headed for the nearest bathroom. He rolled his eyes again as he opened the bathroom door. He laid his stuff down and went over to the bath to start the water running, but as he pulled back the shower curtain a huge swan flapped its wings ferociously. "What the!" Wilbur stepped backwards as fast as he could and away from the birds' wingspan. Without thinking twice, he ran out of the bathroom and down the hall in search of the nearest person he could find, screaming "crazy swan" the entire way.

"Slow down, Wilbur!" Franny heard her son yelling and stepped out into the hall to figure out what the matter was. Wilbur stopped and turned and looked at her timidly. "Now what's this about a crazy swan?"

"There's a crazy swan in the bathroom!" Wilbur said, trying to catch his breath a little.

"A crazy swan in the bathroom?" Franny eyed her son curiously, not sure she should believe his wild story or not. "And exactly how did it get there?"

"How should I know?" Wilbur shrugged defensively. "I was going to take a shower and I pulled back the curtain and there it was!"

"Wilbur, are you absolutely positive that you…" Franny was cut short by the sound of Cornelius running and yelling from their master suite bathroom.

"Crazy swan! Crazy swan!" his cries could be heard coming closer and closer.

Franny looked at her son, who had smug look on his face and his hands around his waist as if to say, "I told you so."

"Crazy swan!" Cornelius stopped, completely out of breath, when he saw his wife and son in the hallway. He placed his hand on Franny's shoulder to steady himself and leaned over choking for air. "Franny, there's a crazy swan in our bathroom," he said between breaths, barely understandable. "How did it get there?"

"How should I know?" Franny echoed her son's previous words of defense.

"Well, it's there. And I'd really like one, to know where it came from and two, to get it out of there as soon as possible," Cornelius composed himself and stood upright again.

"Two swans?" Wilbur thought for a brief moment. "Swans are birds so I bet there are five more of these things around this place somewhere."

"Another gift," Cornelius nodded. "I guess that makes sense. But who for and why are they scattered all over the house with no warning at all?" Cornelius was not entirely pleased with the fact that he had been left in the dark. "I think I need to ask a few questions."

"I'm sure there's a logical explanation," Franny didn't want her husband to lose his cool. He rarely did, but he still could get a little cranky when important matters were kept secret from his attention.

"Mom, with this family, I doubt there's anything logical about it whatsoever," Wilbur remarked, but quickly refrained from making another when his father and mother both shot him a warning glare.

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Tallulah tiptoed past some of the family that was already gathering to figure out where the swans had come from. However, she hadn't gone unnoticed. She made it to one of the bathrooms, but as she turned to see if anyone was watching her, she was startled to see Carl standing there with his arms crossed. "Oh, uh, hi, Carl," she said nervously.

"And hello to you, Tallulah, or should I say Miss Swan."

"W-what are you talking about?"

"I know the swans were your gift. I saw you hiding them earlier this morning," Carl explained, not buying Tallulah's attempt at innocence.

"You did? But why didn't you say anything?"

"Well, I…hmm…I wanted to find out first. Why are you hiding them without saying anything?" Carl flipped the table.

"I don't know really. I guess, I just didn't want to make a big spectacle out of my gift like my brother did. I wanted to handle it more like Lucille. And I knew that swans need water so I put them in the only place I could think of. But seven swans are not easy to manage!" Tallulah exclaimed.

"I bet. So…why swans? Childhood memory? Emotional attachment? What's the explanation behind the gift?" Carl asked curiously.

"I don't know. I've been thinking about it all day and the closest I can think is that when I was really little my favorite bedtime story was of the ugly duckling that turned into a swan. But it doesn't mean that I would want seven swans of my own!" Tallulah rationalized as she opened the bathroom door to check in on one of the swans, Carl joining her. "But now I'm going to have to go tell the rest of the family so that they can have the bathrooms back."

"For all of our sakes, that might be best because Wilbur really needs to shower," Carl remarked and Tallulah laughed. "Then again…"

"Then again what?" Tallulah's eyes became wide with curiosity.

"I was thinking, maybe we can put them somewhere else before you tell the others," Carl said, still obviously thinking the matter over to himself.

"But where exactly?" Tallulah raised her hands in a questioning manner.

"The water gardens that are part of Art's bubble race maze," Carl answered. "That's much less intrusive and with it being winter, Art hasn't raced the maze at all."

"Carl, that's brilliant! I hadn't even considered that option! I'm sure Art wouldn't mind," Tallulah became excited by the idea and the loudness of her voice and her sudden jumps for joy caused the swan to become active. It began flapping its wings. "And it will definitely be much cozier for the animals then the bathroom. So will you help me?"

Carl eyed the flapping beast nervously, gulped and sighed, "I guess I could help you."

"Thank you!" Tallulah's excitement continued and she turned towards the swan.

"I would have suggested the pool in sub-level three, but I wasn't sure how you would feel about the shark."

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"Cornelius, I think I can explain the swan mystery," Laszlo said as he joined the family gathering. "Her name is Tallulah and she has a robot accomplice."

"Tallulah and Carl?" Cornelius asked to make sure he had heard correctly. "But why would they be hiding swans?"

"I don't know, but they're hiding some in the water gardens right now," Laszlo continued.

"As in my bubble race maze water gardens?" Art asked in confusion.

"Art, those are the only water gardens we have," Franny said to her brother. "Now I'm sure that they both have an excellent reason for all of this. Why don't we just go and ask them."

"I agree," Cornelius nodded and led the parade towards the water gardens.

"That's the last of them," Carl said, wearing several feathers from top to bottom.

"Carl, you look so silly!" Tallulah couldn't help but laugh but her laughs were cut short as the others entered the room.

"Tallulah? Carl?" Cornelius asked, but they all stopped and gasped at how beautiful the seven swans looked as they swam together.

"How did they find out?" Tallulah looked at Carl questioningly, but he only shrugged.

"Let's just say, this is payback for saying I was the woman the other day," Laszlo smirked as he passed by.

"Listen, I can explain," Tallulah started. "I'm sorry I didn't tell anyone. I just didn't want to make a scene but I guess I did anyways, huh? I don't know why I got seven swans but they have to swim somewhere and at first I couldn't think of anywhere else but then Carl suggested the gardens and helped me move them here. I'm so sorry."

"There's no need to be sorry," Cornelius laughed. "All of these gifts have thrown us all for a loop. So how did you manage to get all seven geese into different bathrooms by yourself?" Cornelius asked pretty impressed.

"Lefty helped me actually," Tallulah answered.

"Did he turn out looking like Carl!?" Wilbur asked as he pointed and laughed at the still feather covered robot.

Everyone joined in Wilbur's laughter until Cornelius decided enough was enough. "Wilbur, why don't you go help him."

"No thank you!" Carl said immediately. "He's not helping me do anything until he takes a shower," he held his hands to his face.

"The bathroom's free now, so have at it mister," Franny said, placing her hands on her hips and tapping her foot on the floor impatiently until Wilbur trudged out of the room.

"So, is it okay if I keep the swans here, Art?" Tallulah finally asked, bringing the subject back to the gift.

"Absolutely. Why, I won't use this area for my bubble race maze again until the late spring so the swans are free to swim to their content," Art answered graciously.

"Thank you!" Tallulah exclaimed gratefully. She then turned and looked at her seven swans. "They're so beautiful. Now I know why the ugly duckling was such a threat to all of the other ducks," she smiled.

"Reminds me of another little girl vwe used to know," Billie smiled as she placed a hand on her niece's shoulder.

"What do you mean?" Tallulah asked, not understanding her aunt's intention.

"I seem to recall a little girl who thought she vwas the ugliest thing around because her mother vwas a puppet and her dad, eh, not so good looking," Billie answered. "But she grew up to be one of the most beautiful girl's around. Isn't that right everyone?"

Everyone cheered their agreement as Tallulah smiled and blushed a little. "Why don't we help Carl de-feather himself," she said wanting to change the subject. Everyone looked at Carl again and went into another round of laughter.

"Hey! Laughing at Carl without me!?" Wilbur stuck his head back in the door to see what was going on.

"Shower…now!" Franny warned without even turning to look at him.

"Fine, I'm going…" Wilbur huffed and stomped out.